Washington (CNN) - Democrats admit that when it comes to passing comprehensive energy and climate change legislation, they simply do not have the votes.

So in an effort to get something through, the Senate's top Democrat announced that he will introduce a smaller bill in the coming days focusing on specific energy needs.

"Many of us want to do a thorough, comprehensive bill that creates jobs, breaks our addiction to foreign oil and curbs pollution," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters Thursday. "Unfortunately, this time we don't have a single Republican to work with in achieving this goal."

Reid had promised to bring a bill to the Senate floor by the August recess.

The Nevada Democrat said he will put four requirements in the new bill:

soundoff(30 Responses)

Thanks to all these obstructionists, I, who live twenty miles inland, will one day have immensely valuabe beachfront property. Meanwhile, their elegant
Palm Beach, Kennebunkport, etc, homes...

July 23, 2010 11:28 pm at 11:28 pm |

La Piovra

Actually, there is a method to Republican madness. Once rising sea levels have turned Memphis into a deepwater port, Tennessee will be far more viable as an independent nation. It'll be a neat final solution for the problem of all those fr*gs and n* in New Orleans, too.

July 23, 2010 11:36 pm at 11:36 pm |

Gaylon Barrow NOT ASHAMED for the truth!!!

Well you can't blame the Republicans to help you lay more financial burden on the tax[ayers of the United States. You scumbag Democrats are going out on your ear. You have run up a debr since 2008 that we will never be able to come out from under but yet you try to blame it on Bush What a bunch of liars you are since you have controlled congress since that date. Go tell it to Mexico and China who you are working for

July 23, 2010 11:44 pm at 11:44 pm |

J.V.Hodgson

It is appalling that the current largest c02 emitter cannot pass reasonable climate change and alternative energy legislation. If the oil spill clean up legislation is purely directed at BP that is ridiculous in a National piece of legislation.
Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for this 19th century attitude.
Regards,
Hodgson.

July 24, 2010 12:10 am at 12:10 am |

Airdoc

The bill is being cut down because Obama signed executive order 13547 on July 19th that contains alot of climate change items that would have been criticized and not wanted by the people of the United States!! Don't worry about it, it's already in place including the UN Law of the Sea convention which will control how our coastal areas and Great Lakes are to be used to protect the ecosystem. WAKE UP AMERICA